Originally miso and soy sauce producers, they used their knowledge of koji to begin brewing sake in 1875 as Sato Sake Brewery. They were inspired by a spring gushing from the Shonai sand dunes, streaming into the Sea of ​​Japan. Today, the brewery operates under a name that combines the French for “water of life,” and Yamagata’s Shonai Plains, where abundant rice crops grow. These plains are sometimes referred to as Château Shonai, recalling France’s Côte d'Or in the Burgundy region. Their award-winning Kiyoizumigawa sake is brewed using underground water from Mount Chokai. They also produce fruit wines and liqueurs, including grape wine.